Just a friend helping a friend
by Added-OC
Summary: Fionna confesses to Gumball, who turns her down. Suddenly she ups and leaves Aaa altogether for five years, leaving both Cake and Marshall Lee worried sick over her. What will happen when she turns up again asking Marshall for help? Can things be the same when she is so, so different? (Rated M to be safe.)


"Oh nu uh back away vampire boy, this ain't your house no more!" Cake, the spunky calico cat, practically strutted as she filled the doorway to the tree house on the outskirts of the grasslands in Aaa. After five long years alone she seemed to have grown less afraid of the young looking man who hovered with an umbrella protecting him from the sun just outside of her front door. "Do you understand me? You. Are. Not. Allowed. Here." She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked out one hip as she eyed him down, he was looking past her however, to the slightly darker interior where a half cat/ half horse animal was taking a comb through its flowing white hair. "I am spending some quality time with my babies and we don't need you lurking around eating the red out of everything."

"I don't _lurk._ " Marshall Lee insisted in a dull and slightly annoyed tone. "I was bored and wanted to see if Fionna wanted to do…" He was going to say 'anything.' but stopped himself when he saw the hairs on Cake's tail stand on end. She didn't have to say anything, the look on her face told him everything he needed to know. He physically deflated as he sank down to the point that the toes of his shoes grazed the grass below him. "She's not back yet is she." It wasn't a question but still the cat shook her head in response. "How long has it been?" He asked as he looked back up at her face, which held less anger than before, she looked more worried than anything now.

"Five." Her voice was cold and flat, her eyes finding her own feet rather than looking into his own. He chuckled a bit and repositioned the umbrella to better block the sun.

"Five months huh, well I guess she's been gone-" He would have said 'longer' but Cake interrupted him quietly. Her words shocking him into silence.

"It's been five years suga." She sighed after telling him this and took a step back, prepared to shut the door on him. Her ords surprised him, more than surprised him. Fionna never left Cake longer than a few months, it was true she had taken longer and longer missions after her confession to Gumball had met with a result that had her sharpening everything she possibly could for weeks without so much as stopping to eat or sleep unless Cake forced her to. The pink doofus had broken her heart and she had no outlet other than fighting. It had become the norm for her to be gone for months at a time, but years? Marshall couldn't remember her being gone even one, but being what he was he supposed that time was different to him after all. Take his flight back to his cave for instance, it felt as if it lasted forever and yet no time at all.

"Five years." He mumbled to himself as he stared up at his ceiling later that day, night hadn't set yet but he still felt as if he had been laying across his couch for as long as she had been gone. "Five… years."How much could a human change in five years? It had been so long since he had been around them that he couldn't quite remember. He knew they _did_ change, unlike Gumwad and a large majority of Aaa, himself included, but he couldn't remember how long it took for them to change. She was roughly fifteen when she left so she would be closer to twenty now if… He shook his head, not wanting to think of Fionna meeting death in a mortal way. He grunted and threw his arms behind his head in a futile attempt to get comfortable. Why was he even worried about that kid, she could take care of herself. She could certainly throw a punch… He chuckled as he absently reached one hand over his head to rub along his jaw. Yeah, Fionna was fine, no use worrying… was he seriously worried about her? A lot of good it did him now when it had been five years and she was glob knows where, probably kicking a monsters butt somewhere in a deep dark dungeon and collecting new weapons to hoard in the treehouse.

"Yeah. She will be just fine. No need to get hung up on it." He told himself even though a small part of him twisted painfully. He couldn't help worrying it seemed, no matter how selfish that made him. He floated into an upright position from his couch and grumbled to himself as he made his way to his fridge to check if there was anything red left over. His mind wandered during the short trip into his kitchen and he soon found himself trying to picture Fionna, The last time he had seen her she had been around fifteen, still wearing that childish bunny eared hat that hid her hair, still in that blue and white outfit that made her seem much younger than she was. Still innocent in many ways and kinda scary in many others.

" _I'm fine."_

"Glob what the- I'm hearing voices now?" Marshall asked out loud, turning and and looking around his empty kitchen as he stuck a finger in his ear, digging in and twisting it as if he was trying to unlodge something. Nothing was truly there, and he frowned as he pulled his finger away with a pop that echoed in his ear.

" _Okay so I'm not_ _fine,_ _but I will be…"_ Marshall's head snapped up and his eyes narrowed as he heard the voice once again, it was faint but not just that. It was faintly familiar, like a dream that was slowly fading after waking. He tilted his head to the side, confused by his new predicament. He floated through his home, seeking the source of the mystery voice that he had heard twice now. His lips pulling into a deep frown when he saw nothing but his empty abode awaiting him.

* * *

Fionna was… cold, hungry, sleepy, in pain, and home. Finally back in Aaa like the scared child she had been years ago. She was no child anymore though, she had been to lands far beyond Aaa. Saving both princess and princes and making a few friends who never lasted very long. She stumbled past the trees that lead into the grasslands she remembered so well. Home hadn't changed much in her absence, she could still see the ice king… no in Aaa it was a queen, right? She grabbed a fistful of hair and groaned as she looked up to the sky.

"I'm fine." She said to the wind as she struggled to separate her home from her adventures in her mind. When the face of Gumball seemed to meld with a princess she helped save a few times she felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. "Okay, so I'm not _fine,_ but I will be." She told herself as she continued walking. "I am older and mature and junk and so totally past my well… past." She found herself toying with the nearly shredded bunny ear of the hat that hung at her waistband. "Yeah, the trip was a good idea. It helped me clear my head." She assured no one as she crested the hill and spotted the leaves of the tree holding her home beyond another one. _Clear it or make myself fall harder for PGB?_ A small voice asked her from in her mind. She shook it off and crossed her arms across her chest.

As she neared her childhood home her heart pounded so loudly in her ears that she could feel it in the back of her skull.

 _Five years._

 _Five whole years._

 _Like, twelve months five times over._

 _Oh Glob what if Cake doesn't even wanna see me anymore. I donked stuff up so bad by just leaving like I did. She would be smart not to forgive me for just up and leaving and not coming home as soon as possible and junk._

Fionna took a moment to slap herself on the cheeks a few times. What was she thinking? Cake was her sister for glob sakes, she would forgive her and welcome her back. She had to. Fionna was at the door now, no going back. She inhaled deeply, raising her hand to knock upon the scarred wood just as a strong stinging cold wind had her wrapping her arms around herself and shivering. It howled through the trees and whistled through the caves surrounding the grasslands before dying away as if it had never been there in the first place.

"Glob darnit, this is stupid." She muttered as she straightened herself out, pulling her long leather coat closer to herself before banging against the door like a madwoman.

"Fang boy I _told_ you a hundred times!" Came Cake's voice, Fionna smiled at the sound of it. She realized just how much she had truly missed the sound of her sister's voice the moment she heard it. The door was opening now as she continued. "If you don't leave this instant I swear I will stake you my-" Cake's eyes widened and her lips snapped shut the moment she saw who was at the door. Fionna had aged well, Traveling and fighting monsters had kept her toned while eating as she had, mainly junk food due to not having anyone around to tell her no, made her hips and chest more defined than they were when she was younger. Her long hair had been braided and tied in two loops behind her head to hang down in a way reminiscent of her old hat. Her eyes were still the same clear crystal blue as they had always been, and were reflected back at her through Cake's water filled hues.

"Fi honey?" Cake asked quietly as her hands covered her mouth. Shock evident on her features.

"H-hey Cake, I'm Home." Fionna said softly as she lifted her hand in a shy wave. Cake pulled her into a tight embrace, startling the adventuress at the suddenness of it. It took her longer than she would ever admit to realize that her sister was sobbing into her chest. "H-hey now." She stammered as she rested her hands on Cakes shoulders, "There's no need for that, I didn't die after all." She reached up to tentatively stroke her sister between her furry ears as she murmured the words softly.

It took a long time for Cake to calm down enough to invite Fionna inside, then a good while longer for Cake to explain to her younger sister that she had another litter of children with Lord Monochromicorn. Fionna was still hungry and exhausted from her trip back to Aaa, so after eating a meal quickly whipped up by Cake, and being told that unfortunately the treasure room was the only one that was available at the moment, Fionna promised she would tell of her adventures in the morning. Her old sleeping bag was still just as warm and comfy as she remembered, even when laid across piles of lumpy coins and gems. She curled up within its furry encampment and let out a contented sigh as the memories of home came flooding back to her. Her eyes were fluttering closed as a gentle smile crossed her lips. She remembered thinking that Cake must have adventured without her at some point because two beautiful rubies she didn't recognize were gleaming at her in the darkness of the treasure room before she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **Hello.**_

 _ **My name is Ad n.n this is my first ever Adventure Time fanfic though not my first ever fanfic period. I always like to see how my fics will be taken for each fandom before I get really into writing them. What's the use if no one want to read it right? So please let me know what you think of this one if you will. I must admit I am already planning how I want Chapter two to go so... *fingers crossed people like this***_

 _ **Much Love;**_

 _ **Ad**_


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